Locking mechanism



April 20, 1937. E. P. HURD LOCKING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 14, 1931 m w T.N m N T A P 4 A D i Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE"'8 Claims.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a lockingmechanism adapted particularly for use in lo'cking a spare wheel on asuitable support.

It is an object of the invention to provide a looking mechanism wherebya vehicle wheel may be so protected that the meansfor securing the wheelto its support will be enclosed and the enclosing structure lockedagainst being opened.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a locking mechanismof this class which will be simple in structure, economical ofmanufacture, durable, highly efllclent in use, light andeasily andquicklymounted in position.

15 Another object of the invention is the provision of a lockingmechanism of this class which maybe easily and quickly operated andwhich will notdmar the appearance of a vehicle with which use Otherobjects will appear hereinafter.

a The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood from a reference to theaccompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification and inwhich,

Fig. i is a centralvertical sectional view of the invention showing itapplied,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view taken on line 2-2 0f Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view taken on line of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line t-t of Fig. 2.

In the drawing I have shown the invention used for locking a vehiclewheel on a suitable support 7. When the device is used with vehicles onwhich the spare wheel is carried on the sideoi the vehicle which isprovided with a well in the necessary, but this modification will, it isbelieved,

appear obvious. As shown, the bracket or support l is provided with aflange 8 terminating in a neck 9. A nut it carried by the bracket orsupport serves to receive the threaded end of the screw it which servesto support the band section it.

Hingedly connected by the pintle it is the bandsection it, which carriesthe hub closure It.

The vehicle wheel comprises hub it having the ring it attached thereto.The hub it is also provided at its outer side with the flange l8. Spokesl8 serve to connect the hub it to the tire rim it on which the tire 2|is mounted. Bolts 22 and nuts 23 serve to attach the vehicle wheel tothe support flange ii.

fender a slight modification of the device will be The hub closure I5 isprovided with the spaced tongues 24 which are adapted to engage over theflange I8, and which are at opposite sides of the boss 25 into whichthreads the screw 26 to connect the ends of the band section 84 to thehub closure. An inwardly projecting circumferential rib 21 is carried bythe hub closure and adapted to project into the open end of the hub Itso as to project inwardly beyond the inwardly directed flange it asclearly appears in Fig. 4. This flange is cut away to permit the radialmovement of the locking plate or tongue 36 so that it may be projectedoutwardly beyond the rib or flange 2i and lie in engagement with theinner face of the flange it. This rib or flange is also cut away toprovide for the engagement of the anti-rattling spring til, hereinafterreferred to, with the inner face of the inward flange I8 into the huband engage the same. A covering 28 of sheet metal or other suitablematerial is used as a facing for the closure '05, and swingable thereonis a cover til mounted on the pin it which is embraced by the spring 32.This cover it serves as a closure for the chamber 29 in which ispositioned the lock barrel 3%. Projecting eccentrically from the innerend of the lock barrel 3% is a stud 34 which may be rotated by asuitable key arranged to fit the tumbler mechanism contained in thebarrel it. A roller 35 is mounted on the stud 36 and engages in a .slot

ill formed in the locking tongue or plate it. This tongue or plate 36 isadapted to slide in the grooves tit formed in the guide lugs 38. Thegrooves 38' formed in the guide lugs 38 afiord a. greater bearing forthe tongue or plate 36 than is provided by the sides of the cut awayportion of the flange or rib 2i.

Anti-rattling springs it are secured in position on the inwardlyprojecting bosses 3t which'are formed on the closure it.

In use, the vehicle wheel is attached to the bracket flange t and theband section it is swung upwardly until the tongues it snap over theflange it, the sections it and it being sumciently resilient andyieldable to permit this snapping over movement. The closure if), when,in closing or operative position will prevent access to the bolts 22 andnuts 23 by which the wheel is attached to the supporting bracket, sothat removal oi the wheel will be prevented. The key is then used torotate the stud 3t to the position whereat the tongue or plate it, whichoperates as a lock bolt, is moved to engage behind the flange it, thussecurely locking the closure in position.

In this way I have provided a means for locking the securing meansagainst manipulation and at the same time the device which serves thispurpose also serves as a closure for the open end of the wheel hub. Werethe wheel to be used with a tender having a well therein, so that thewheel would be engaged in the well when it is being carried as a spare,the use of the band sections would of course be eliminated. It isbelieved obvious that, if desired, the hub cap, equipped as illustratedin Fig. 1, may be used, when the member M is detached therefrom, in theordinary manner as a hub cap on a wheel which is mounted on the axle sothat an unlawful removal of the wheel from the axle is also prevented.

While I have illustrated and described the pre ferred "form ofconstruction I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details ofstructure shown but desire to avail myself of such variations andmodification as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters open at one end; a supporting bracket for supportingsaid wheel; means accessible from within said hub for attaching saidwheel on said bracket; a retaining member carried by said bracket andadapted for embracing the rim of the wheel; a hub cap carried by saidretaining member and engageable with the hub of said wheel for closingthe open end thereof; and key operated means for securing said hub capin closing position on said hub.

2. In a device of the class described adapted for use with a vehiclewheel having a hub open at one end, a supporting bracket for supportingthe wheel; means projectable into the hub of the wheel for attaching thewheel on said bracket; means supported on said bracket for embracing therim of the wheel; a hub cap carried by said embracing means andengageable with the hub for closing the open end thereof; and means forsecuring said hub cap in closing position.

3. In combination a wheel hub having an opening, a hub cap having aflange for extending through said opening, a. radially shiftable lockmember supported on said cap and said cap flange having a guidepassageway for the end of said locking member, an actuating memberadapted upon rotational movement to cause radial shift of said lockingmember to locking or unlocking position, the outer end of said lockingmember when in looking position being projected behind the hubwallsurrounding the hub opening where by to lock the cap to the hub, ahousing supported by said cap, a rotatable member journaled in saidhousing and connected with said locking bar actuating member, and meansfor locking said rotaaovaeae tionai member against rotation afteractuation thereby of said actuating member to shift said locking memberinto locking position.

4. In combination, an open faced. wheel hub terminating at its outer endin a radially inwardly projecting flange; a hub cap mountable on saidhub in engagement with the outer face of said flange for closing saidopen face; securing means carried by said cap engageable behind saidflange, upon movement to operative position, for securing said cap onsaid hub; and means for moving said securing means to operative andinoperative position.

5. In combination, an open faced wheel hub terminating at its outer endin a radially inwardly projecting flange; a hub cap mountable on saidhub in engagement with the outer face of said flange for closing saidopen face; securing means carried by said cap engageable behind saidflange, upon movement to operative position, for securing said cap onsaid hub; and a locking mechanism for locking said securing means inoperative position.

6. In combination, an open faced wheel hub terminating at its outer endin a radially inwardly projecting flange; a hub cap mountable on saidhub in engagement with the outer face of said flange for closing saidopen face; securing means carried by said cap engageable behind saidflange, upon movement to operative position, for securing said cap onsaid hub; and key operated means for moving said securing means tooperative and inoperative position. a

7. In combination, a vehicle wheel hub having an open outerend; aninwardly projecting flange surrounding the opening in said end; a capfor closing said open end, engageable with the outer surface of saidflange; movable securing means carried by said cap and movable tooperative and inoperative position and adapted upon movement tooperative position for engaging the inner surface of said flange; andkey operated means for moving said securing means to operative position.

8. In combination, a wheel hub having an open outer end; an inwardlyprojecting flange surrounding the opening in said end; a cap for closingsaid end and adapted for engaging the outer surface oi said end; movablesecuring means carried by said cap and movable to operative andinoperative position and adapted, when in operative position, forengaging behind said flange and retaining said cap in engagement withthe outer end of said hub; means for moving said securing means tooperative and inoperative position; and means for locking said movingmeans against movement upon movement of said securing means to operativeposition.

WIN P. HURD.

